updated 01:35 pm EST, Thu March 1, 2007

Blockbuster and Movielink

Blockbuster Video is in late talks to acquire the download store Movielink, says the Wall Street Journal. If the reports are true, Movielink would be bought for less than $50 million in cash and stocks, and give Blockbuster a quick means to compete with outlets such as Netflix and BitTorrent. The company would in fact have CEO John Antioco describes as a "triple play": mail, in-store and online orders all from the same source. Movielink is currently owned by MGM Studios, which in turn is shared by Sony, Viacom, Universal and Time Warner. It has mostly been unprofitable, but the potential is great, with recent attention drawn to video downloads by companies like Apple and Wal-Mart.